First Doubletree By Hilton In Eastern China Now Open Near Kunshan

Hilton Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Doubletree by Hilton Huaqiao/Kunshan, the first Doubletree by Hilton branded hotel in East China. The newly built, 397-room hotel is located in the new Huaqiao Central Business District, which is strategically located between Shanghai and Suzhou -- regarded as two of China’s top five economies.

Situated along the main expressway that connects Shanghai and Suzhou, the Doubletree by Hilton is well positioned to Shanghai’s two major airports and is within close proximity to Shanghai Automobile City and China’s Formula 1 racing circuit. Martin Rinck, president Hilton Hotels Corporation Asia Pacific, commented, “We are delighted to introduce our second Doubletree by Hilton hotel in China and in Asia. This is a milestone in our expansion plans for the Hilton Family of brands, and the Doubletree brand, following the successful launch of our Doubletree hotel in Beijing during the Olympics. We are confident the relaxed warm service and contemporary style of the Doubletree hotels will be a hit among travelers in China and beyond”.

S China province's holiday program to be piloted

The national tourism administration is set to give the go-ahead to authorities in Guangdong to pilot a National Travel and Recreation Program this month, Guangzhou Daily reported over the weekend.

"The program is likely to start at the end of February," the report quoted an anonymous official as saying. "Guangdong will be the first to pilot the program," he said.

Travel golden season continues in China

In a pleasant surprise for the Chinese travel industry, the golden season hasn't faded away with the end of the Spring Festival holiday. From the tropical island of Hainan to the natural beauty of Qinghai, travelers from home and abroad are still enjoying their vacations.

Forget about the Spring Festival golden week, Hainan Island has welcomed its first ever golden month of travel! The star-rated hotels in Sanya have maintained high occupancy rates above 85-percent. A sign of shifting trends, most travelers here didn't come as part of a group but as individual tourists from China and abroad.

More Chinese tourists heading this way

The new year opened with a big jump in arrivals from China to Malaysia, with figures last month soaring 37.3 per cent to 100,563."The numbers increased because last month was the Spring Festival holiday break.

Many Chinese are giving Thailand a miss because of the political situation there," said Cai Min Yu, manager for the Southeast Asia market at Guangzhou-based GZL Travel Services Ltd.Southern China accounts for half the market into Malaysia, with most people coming from Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong.